Abderrahmane El Djilali

Born in the Casbah of Algiers, Cheikh Abderrahmane El Djilali was educated at the Great Mosque of Algiers under eminent reformist theologians. For sixty years, his authoritative Friday sermons and daily educational radio broadcasts made him the most beloved religious teacher in Algeria.

His masterwork Tarikh al-Jaza'ir al-Aam (General History of Algeria) was the first modern comprehensive encyclopedia of Algerian history written in Arabic from ancient Numidian times to modern independence, earning him national honors as a living cultural treasure until his passing at age 102.